In 2002, Maritime Housing Association, a partner of Liverpool’s Sustainable Home Ownership Group (SHOG), was successful in accessing an Inovation and Good Practice Grant (I & GP) from the North West Office of the Housing Corporation.  Originally entitled the ‘Neighbourhood Financial Inclusion’ Project, this initiative evolved over a number of years with interesting origins within the regeneration programmes of the L1 area of inner city Liverpool.  The programme extended to L8 in 2004 and expanded further into the whole of the Housing Market Renewal Initiative (HMRI) area in 2006.

The projects approach has the potential to enable many aspiring home owners to reach their goal of owner occupation- through provision of a specific service which supports and advises local residents through the maze of routes to home ownership.  The project has received 4 National Awards and was a finalist in the November 2008 Chartered Institute of Housing, UK Housing Awards and has enabled and helped hundreds of local people to become homeowners.

Offering a one to one support service, not normally available to those considering owner occupation, this model has contributed to a wide range of regeneration goals in the local areas in which it has been targeted.

Access to Home Ownership is run by Maritime Housing Association. Maritime is part of the Regenda Group registered in England No: 04334057, VAT No: 787 4523 85, Registered Office: Regenda House, Enterprise Business Park, Northgate Close, Horwich, Bolton, BL6 6PQ.